Without a Killer Instinct, You’ll Always Lose
I spent some time watching Canada’s U-20 team eliminate themselves from the world cup on the weekend, and set a record in the process. Canada is now the only host nation ever to not score a goal in the history of the tournament. We can now add this to our other distinguished record of being the only Olympic host nation never to win a gold medal - twice.
It seems there’s something in the Canadian psyche that doesn’t lend itself to being good at finishing the task at hand. While we as a nation tend to be good at consensus building, we lack that ability to seal the deal, we collectively lack the killer instinct.
As a leader, you need to be able to develop this touch in both yourself and your team in order to be successful. Those of us in sales positions see this as a given, but it’s equally important for the rest of us as well. Finishing as deliberately as we start is the way we are evaluated by our peers and ultimately, it’s the way we evaluate ourselves.
Just Say It
There is an element of reckless abandon built into those that possess the instinct to close. In some cases this comes naturally and for others it is developed, but regardless, it exists. Otherwise known as getting to the point, this skill can sometimes cross the boundary of situational manners into the land of foot firmly in mouth. Nonetheless, for every misstep there will be at least an equal number of wins.
Actually having the strength to say anything at all is a good first step, as anyone who has ever approached a complete stranger will attest to. Learning to say the right things comes with practice, and even the best sometimes get it wrong.
The art of saying what you mean is critical to providing understanding even if it ruffles a few feathers, and is a great first step to establishing a killer instinct.
Just Do It
In a similar vein to saying what you mean, doing what you mean is key. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s important to ensure that our actions are intentional; we do only what we want to do, the efforts required to bring us closer to our goal.
Often, we can begin with a clear start and end up working in a manner that is more reactionary than intentional. Once this happens, we lose the power to win. As in sport, the key to the game is forcing the opponent to play to your strengths, and not the other way around. Momentum is the way to win, and the same holds true in all tasks that we undertake.
When we control the momentum, and control our actions to ensure we do things that we’re intending to do we increase our chances of being able to finish with the results that we expect.
Just Finish It
As hard as it is to start a task, it’s even more difficult to finish it. Many times it’s hard enough just defining what “finished” is.
The art of the finish starts with well defined goals. Allowing your team to know and understand the end game enables them to continue to work towards it, and you to know when you’ve reached it. You should prioritize work and effort towards your goals, making those tasks that get you closer to the end most important. Again, obvious; but not so much.
In addition to this, to be a successful finisher you’ll need to understand some Voltaire: “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” In other words, being finished is equal to “good enough”. You’ll never be able to look at a task and say, “I have nothing left to do” so don’t equate that unreachable state with being finished.
It’s About Confidence
In the end, the killer instinct comes from confidence. The less confident you are about your teams abilities, the less likely you will be able to finish and win. The only way to build confidence is to practice. By practicing we fail, by failing we learn and by learning we build confidence.
Monitor and gauge your ability to seal the deal (both literally and figuratively) and you’ll avoid setting the records you’d rather not be remembered for.
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I do not agree 100% on the ‘killer instinct’ aspect. I am fully Canadian, born here in British Columbia (way to many years ago
)
I have been in sales, and very successful at it. I think though, I was always in system sales, which often had a long sales cycle, allowing me to get to know my clients and customers, to build relationships and trust.
Trust was probably my strongest asset. If my client trusted me, he would usually buy. Rarely did I have to ‘bring him in for the kill’
Recently I did have a more ‘immediate’ sales position, and again, using listening, trust and even in a short period of time, build a relationship with my customer and their requirements I was able to close the deals.
Later Dave
July 11th, 2007 at 8:51 am